The Chemical Chronicles Volume One: Blood
by Meg Rider
Summary: Shortly after seeing a tank and armed men roll through their quiet town, sisters Elsa and Anna are forced out of their home and separated from each other. Elsa is locked away from the outside world in an institution and Anna is put on a ship heading out of the country. Neither girl knows what's happening. They find unlikely allies and begin a search to find each other.


Eighteen-year-old Anna Arendelle woke with a jolt. Her eyes flew open and were met with a dim light. Her curtain was cracked open just enough to let in a small stream of sunlight. She didn't want it to be morning yet; morning meant school.

"Maybe it's earlier than I think," Anna muttered to herself. "Maybe I can go back to sleep for just a little bit longer..." She rolled over and let out a loud groan when she saw it was only two minutes before her alarm was due to go off.

She reached over to shut off the alarm, then stretched and sat up. She kicked her legs over the side of the bed, but as soon as her feet hit the floor she heard a soft thud. Anna froze and listened carefully for it to happen again. There was another thud and this time she could tell it came from outside her window. She slowly made her way over to the window and flung open her curtains; two snowballs were smashed against the glass. Anna peered out the frosty glass and saw her best friend, Kristoff, standing below. She unlocked the window and stuck her head out.

"Good morning, Kristoff!" Anna called down to him.

Kristoff was forming another snowball in his hands, but dropped it when he saw Anna had finally come to the window. "Anna, guess what?"

"What?"

"Snow day today!"

Anna let out a squeal of excitement. "Let me get ready; I'll be out in twenty minutes." She closed her window before he could respond and sprinted across her room. She swung open her bedroom door, only to run into her older sister, Elsa. Elsa was mid-knock and stumbled backward slightly when Anna came rushing out. "It's a snow day, Elsa!"

Elsa nodded, but she didn't share in her younger sister's enthusiasm. Elsa was twenty-one and no longer in school, so a snow day meant little to her. "That's nice, Anna. I need you to move your car so I can go to work."

Anna sighed dramatically as she continued down the hallway to the bathroom. "Oh, come on, Elsa; skip work today and have some fun."

"You know I can't do that."

"Can't or won't?"

Elsa followed her sister down to the bathroom. "Can't. I have a job and a responsibility, Anna."

Anna picked up her toothbrush and squirted a large blob of toothpaste onto it. "And what if I _can't _move my car?"

"Anna, please; I have to go."

Anna stuck her toothbrush in her mouth and turned the shower on. "Elsa, you're a secretary," she said, with a mouthful of toothpaste. "I'm pretty sure your boss can handle answering his own phone for one day."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I can't afford to get fired. So, can you please- for once in your life- take something seriously?"

Anna stared at her sister for a moment. "Fine. But can it wait 'till after my shower? Kristoff's waiting for me."

Elsa sighed. "Fine. But hurry up."

Anna gave her a mock salute before Elsa turned on her heel and headed downstairs. The girls lived in a large house with their workaholic parents who were rarely at home. Elsa didn't mind, though. She preferred it when it was just her and Anna. Elsa sat down in the living room and picked up one of her favorite novels off the bookcase to reread while she waited for Anna. Everyone always got the wrong impression of Elsa; they think she's serious all the time and didn't know how to just let go. But that wasn't true. Elsa loved to get lost in the fantasy worlds of her novels and she would give anything to be able to play in the snow with Anna and Kristoff the way they used to when they were children. But, life doesn't always let you play- sometimes you have to be an adult.

Fortunately, Elsa didn't have to wait long for Anna. The youngest Arendelle hurried down the stairs, pulling her mittens over her hands. She took her car keys out of her pocket and dangled them in front of Elsa.

"I'm ready, big sis."

Elsa set her book down and followed Anna outside. As soon as they stepped outside, Elsa noticed two things. One: there was not a single other person outside. And two: they were snowed in. The plow stacked a huge snow drift in front of their driveway, making it impossible for them to get their cars out.

Anna turned to look at her. "Looks like you're not going to work after all."

Elsa sighed. "I guess not."

Anna smirked. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

Elsa smiled back at her. "Of course I do."

Anna lit up. "Let's go find Kristoff."

Kristoff lived right down the street from them, on the corner. Kristoff was the same age as Anna, but the three of them had grown up together and they were all really good friends. The girls ran down the street, careful to avoid icy patches. When they reached Kristoff's house, however, they felt the ground tremble. The girls froze.

"What is that?" Anna asked.

Elsa shook her head. "I don't know."

A hand wrapped tightly around Anna's wrist and pulled her down to the ground. On instinct, Anna grabbed Elsa, bringing her down with her. They were now ducked behind a large snow mound and saw Kristoff was the one who had grabbed Anna.

"What's going on?" Anna asked.

Kristoff held a finger up to his lips. "Be quiet, Anna."

"I'm sor-"

Another small tremor in the ground interrupted her. This one was bigger and accompanied by a noise neither girl recognized. The three of them peered around the snow mound and their blood quickly ran as cold as ice. At that moment, passing Kristoff's house, was an impossibly large tank surrounded by dozens of men with guns.

"Oh my God," Anna whispered.

Elsa was terrified, but she couldn't look away. "Is that...?"

Kristoff nodded. "I think we're going to war."


End file.
